1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to recreational vehicles (RVs) and more specifically, to RV door locking mechanisms that enable multiple baggage doors to lock and unlock as a result of a single activation.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recreational vehicles (RVs) have become an increasingly popular and common means of recreation. RVs are mobile vehicles that include a living space inside and can be either self-propelled, as in a motorhome, or can depend on another vehicle for their motive power, as in a trailer such as a fifth wheel trailer. A typical RV comprises a ladder frame mounted on a plurality of wheels adapted for rolling movement across the ground. A floor is mounted atop the frame, a plurality of walls is built atop the floor, and a ceiling is built atop the plurality of walls in order to define an interior living space for the RV users.
RV users will typically use the RV to travel to a recreational area and live in the RV for some period of time. Some RV owners even use their RV as their primary residence. Thus, since an RV will often be used for extended periods of time, RV customers will usually desire storage areas where luggage, supplies, appliances, equipment, and the like can be stowed.
To address this need, RV manufactures often include hollow compartments to be used as storage areas. These storage areas are usually accessible from outside of the RV, through openings cut in the side of the storage area of the RV, and movable storage area doors usually cover these openings so that cargo will not fall out of the storage areas during travel.
Since cargo inside the storage areas is often valuable to the RV owner, the RV owner usually desires to secure the storage area from unauthorized access. To address this concern, RV manufacturers often include securing members on the storage area doors. In a typical embodiment, a RV has multiple storage area doors, and each door comprises at least one securing member. Each securing member can move between a locked position, in which the securing member fixes the storage area door in place over the openings in the storage area, and an unlocked position, in which the storage area door can be moved and the RV can access the interior of the storage area through the opening. Typically, each securing mechanism is coupled to a lock, widely known in the art, such that a key is required for moving the securing mechanism between its locked position and unlocked positions. As such, the RV user can lock the storage area to thereby prevent unauthorized access to the cargo.
When the user wants to lock or unlock the lockable storage area doors, the RV owner must perform the act on each of the lockable doors. Unfortunately, having to spend time walking around the RV locking or unlocking the lockable storage area doors prolongs an already time-consuming loading and unloading process. Also, when the RV user wants to drive the RV somewhere, it is preferable to secure every door; however, the user can easily forget to lock one of the doors. Thus, the RV user sometimes spends additional time double checking each and every lock, or sometimes, the user might drive off with the contents of the unlocked storage area compromised. Furthermore, if the storage area doors have uncommon locks, an additional problem arises; namely, each lock requires a different key, and as such, the user becomes encumbered with multiple keys and must often spend time at each lock trying multiple keys until the correct one is found. Therefore, current multi-lock designs can inconvenience the user of the RV in a number of ways.
Furthermore, the locks of the storage area doors are almost always located on the outside surface of the RV, requiring the user to get out of the RV to lock and unlock the storage area doors. This can be quite an inconvenience, especially during inclement weather because the user will be exposed to the elements or will have to spend time putting on protective gear to avoid exposure. This is also an inconvenience during the nighttime hours because the darkness often requires the user to awkwardly fumble with a flashlight and the keys as the user tries to find the locks, find the correct key, and guide the key into the lock.
Hence from the foregoing, there is an ongoing problem with current RVs in that RV users ordinarily must individually lock and unlock the storage area doors, which is exacerbated because the RV user must do so from outside the vehicle. It will be appreciated that there is need to eliminate these inconveniences.
The aforementioned needs are satisfied by one aspect of the invention relating to a recreational vehicle comprising a frame mounted on wheels adapted to be rollably moved over the ground, and a housing comprising a plurality of walls built on the frame so as to define an interior living space having a bathroom and a bedroom. The housing further defines a plurality of storage spaces each having an access opening adjacent the exterior walls of the housing. The recreational vehicle further comprises a plurality of access doors positioned adjacent the outer wall of the housing adjacent the access openings of the plurality of storage spaces. The plurality of access doors are hingeably attached to the housing so as to be movable between an open position wherein access to the storage is provided via the access opening, and a closed position wherein the storage space is secured from entry via the access opening. The recreational vehicle further comprises a locking system having a plurality of locking members and a central actuator. The plurality of locking members engage with the plurality of access doors such that the plurality of locking members in a locked configuration lock the plurality of access doors into the closed position and in an unlocked configuration permit the plurality of access doors to be moved to an open position. The central actuator is mounted within the housing and is coupled to the plurality of locking members such that controlling of the central actuator results in the plurality of locking members moving between a locked and unlocked configuration.
In one embodiment, each of the locking members comprises a strike defined by the access door and a movable bolt mounted to the housing such that in the locked configuration a portion of the bolt engages the strike so as to prevent opening of the door. In the unlocked configuration the bolt retracts from the strike so as to permit opening of the door.
In one embodiment, the movement of the bolt in the locking member is pneumatically actuated. In another embodiment, the movement of the bolt in the locking member is hydraulically actuated. In yet another embodiment, the movement of the bolt in the locking member is electromagnetically actuated. In yet another embodiment, the movement of the bolt in the locking member is mechanically actuated.
In the embodiment where the bolt is mechanically actuated, the locking member further comprises a cam that is rotatably mounted to the housing such that the cam engages the bolt. The cam being in a first orientation causes the bolt to be pushed into the strike for the locked configuration, and the cam being in a second orientation allows the bolt to retract from the strike for the unlocked configuration. The rotation of the cam is mechanically actuated.
In one embodiment, the mechanically actuated locking member further comprises a spring that couples the bolt to the housing such that the locked configuration corresponds to the spring being compressed. During transition of the locking member into the unlocked configuration, the spring member relaxes thereby facilitating the retraction of the bolt from the strike. The locking system further comprises a plurality of linkages and gears that interconnect the cam in each of the plurality of locking members to the central actuator so as to transmit mechanical output of the central actuator to the cams.
In one embodiment, the locking system further comprises a portable transmitter and a receiver wherein the receiver is connected to the central actuator. A signal transmitted by the transmitter is received by the receiver and relayed to the central actuator as the control input. One possible signal is a lock signal, and another possible signal is an unlock signal.
In one embodiment, the central actuator is configured to receive user input, and based on the user input, selectively activate one or more groups of locking members. In one possible grouping of the locking members, a first group includes a locking member for a main door, and a second group that includes locking members for the plurality of access doors.
In one embodiment, the recreational vehicle is a motorhome. In another embodiment, the recreational vehicle is a trailer. In one embodiment, the trailer is a fifth-wheel trailer.
In one embodiment, the relative orientation of the strike to the bolt is adjustable so as to accommodate misalignments. In yet another embodiment, the bolt is tapered on one side such that when engaged with the strike, the bolt urges the door in a first direction. In one configuration of the tapered bolt, the taper is on the interior side such that the bolt urges the door inward when engaged with the strike.
Another aspect of the invention relates to a recreational vehicle comprising a frame mounted on wheels adapted to be rollably moved over the ground, and a housing comprising a plurality of walls built on the frame so as to define an interior living space having a bathroom and a bedroom. The housing further defines a plurality of storage spaces each having an access opening adjacent the exterior walls of the housing. The recreational vehicle further comprises a plurality of access doors positioned adjacent the outer wall of the housing adjacent the access openings of the plurality of storage spaces. The plurality of access doors are hingeably attached to the housing so as to be movable between an open position wherein access to the storage is provided via the access opening, and a closed position wherein the storage space is secured from entry via the access opening. The plurality of access doors are logically grouped into one or more groups. The recreational vehicle further comprises a locking system having a plurality of locking members controlled by a central actuator. The plurality of locking members are grouped according to one or more logical groups of the access doors such that controlling of the central actuator results in a selected group of locking members associated with a selected group of access doors moving between a locked and unlocked configuration. The selected group of locking members engage with the selected group of access doors such that the selected group of locking members in a locked configuration lock the selected group of access doors into the closed position and in an unlocked configuration permit the selected group of access doors to be moved to an open position. The central actuator is mounted within the housing and is coupled to the one or more groups of locking members.
In one embodiment, the access doors include a main door to the interior living space, a plurality of baggage compartment doors, and one or more utility access doors. In one embodiment, all the access doors are logically grouped into a single group such that the central actuator is able to lock and unlock all the access doors simultaneously. In another embodiment, the access doors are logically grouped according to functionality of the doors. In one such possible grouping, a first group comprises the main door, a second group comprises baggage compartment doors, and a third group comprises the utility doors. In yet another embodiment, the access doors are logically grouped according to desired level of security.
In one embodiment, each of the locking members comprises a strike defined by the access door and a movable bolt mounted to the housing such that in the locked configuration a portion of the bolt engages the strike so as to prevent opening of the door. In the unlocked configuration the bolt retracts from the strike so as to permit opening of the door.
In one embodiment, the movement of the bolt in the locking member is pneumatically actuated. In another embodiment, the movement of the bolt in the locking member is hydraulically actuated. In yet another embodiment, the movement of the bolt in the locking member is electromagnetically actuated. In yet another embodiment, the movement of the bolt in the locking member is mechanically actuated.
In the embodiment where the bolt is mechanically actuated, the locking member further comprises a cam that is rotatably mounted to the housing such that the cam engages the bolt. The cam being in a first orientation causes the bolt to be pushed into the strike for the locked configuration, and the cam being in a second orientation allows the bolt to retract from the strike for the unlocked configuration. The rotation of the cam is mechanically actuated.
In one embodiment, the mechanically actuated locking member further comprises a spring that couples the bolt to the housing such that the locked configuration corresponds to the spring being compressed. During transition of the locking member into the unlocked configuration, the spring member relaxes thereby facilitating the retraction of the bolt from the strike. The locking system further comprises a plurality of linkages and gears that interconnect the cam in each of the plurality of locking members to the central actuator so as to transmit mechanical output of the central actuator to the cams.
In one embodiment, the locking system further comprises a portable transmitter and a receiver wherein the receiver is connected to the central actuator. A signal transmitted by the transmitter is received by the receiver and relayed to the central actuator as the control input. One possible signal is a lock signal, and another possible signal is an unlock signal.
In one embodiment, the recreational vehicle is a motorhome. In another embodiment, the recreational vehicle is a trailer. In one embodiment, the trailer is a fifth-wheel trailer.
In one embodiment, the relative orientation of the strike to the bolt is adjustable so as to accommodate misalignments. In yet another embodiment, the bolt is tapered on one side such that when engaged with the strike, the bolt urges the door in a first direction. In one configuration of the tapered bolt, the taper is on the interior side such that the bolt urges the door inward when engaged with the strike.